


The New Padawans

by raeshin



Series: Those Who Shape Us: A Clone Wars Anthology [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety, Fear of Rejection, Gen, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, One Shot, Planet Christophsis (Star Wars), Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series References, The Disaster Lineage Grows, Yoda's Disaster Lineage (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 03:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30049512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raeshin/pseuds/raeshin
Summary: (One Shot part of a larger anthology) Larel Corusca was fifteen years old when her Jedi Master was killed at the onset of the Clone Wars. Now she and Ahsoka Tano are on their way to meet their new masters on Christophsis to continue their journey to become Jedi Knights.
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Original Character(s), Jedi Master Character(s) & Original Jedi Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Jedi Character(s)
Series: Those Who Shape Us: A Clone Wars Anthology [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2210577
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	The New Padawans

The young redheaded human sat silently, her eyes closed to the world around her, her freckled face set with a calm expression as she tried to meditate. Tried was the key word in this moment. A young Togruta girl was pacing back and forth through the small space of the shuttle, her anxiety leaking into the Force around the pair. The redhead opened one eye, watching her companion go back and forth over and over again, letting an exasperated breath out through her nose.

“Would you just sit down, Ahsoka?” she asked. “The Council will not be happy if you end up with a broken neck before we even land.”

As if to prove her point, the shuttle trembled with turbulence, the telltale sign that they had entered the atmosphere. Ahsoka groaned as she was nearly knocked off her feet and she took a seat across from her companion, bouncing her leg a few times to try to rid herself of the nervous energy. 

“How are you not nervous right now?” Ahsoka asked. “Come on, Larel! You can’t tell me you aren’t.”  
  
Larel sighed, opening both eyes. Her hand absently fidgeted with the neatly braided tail of hair that draped down behind her right ear. She quickly pulled her hand away, clasping her hands in her lap to ease the urge to fidget. Naturally, she was nervous. Not only were they going to meet their new Jedi Masters, but to do so they were heading straight into a war zone.

The sixteen year old padawan was no stranger to this war. Her first master had been killed in the first battle on Geonosis and while she awaited being assigned a new master, Laurel had served as a medic’s assistant in the Halls of Healing. 

“Of course I’m nervous,” she replied. “If my new master doesn’t accept me, it’s off to the service corps with me…. I mean I don’t think very many masters are too keen on taking on a second-hand padawan.”

Ahsoka frowned. Of course Larel would be nervous in ways she couldn’t fully understand. Everyone in the Temple seemed to know some version of the story. Jedi Knight Sar Labooda had died protecting her padawan at the arena on Geonosis and Larel was said to have managed to fight her way to the center to regroup with the few survivors. Some even said that her skill and bravery that day had been what saved her from immediate reassignment to the service corps. After all, with so many Jedi Knights and Masters killed that day, they couldn’t afford to cast aside a skilled potential knight.

“I can’t imagine he wouldn’t accept you,” Ahsoka said, hoping to reassure the older teen. “Master Yoda said that he requested to be assigned a padawan. I’m the surprise between the two of us.”

“Well, I trust Master Yoda’s judgement,” she replied and after a moment’s hesitation, continued, “but there’s still that worry in the back of my mind… that I won’t be good enough.”

“You’ll be great… We both will.”

Larel smiled at Ahsoka and the younger girl smiled back. Together they took a deep breath, releasing their anxieties to the Force as the shuttle slowed and touched down on Christophsis. She pulled a brown robe over her traditional beige tunic and stood, her hands clasped in front of her concealed in her large sleeves while the ramp opened in front of them revealing the two famed Jedi Generals.

Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker stood both looking confused at the sight of the mismatched pair of young ones standing where they had expected fresh troops and supplies to be. The smaller one took the lead toward them.

“And who are you supposed to be?” Anakin asked, focusing on young Ahsoka.

Larel was just fine with the two men focusing on her companion. She was content to remain quietly behind her, shrinking into the background and taking the moment to survey their surroundings. The city around them had certainly seen better days, and by the state of the two Generals’ armor, the number of clones around the medical tents and walking on makeshift crutches it seemed that the army had as well.

“I’m Ahsoka and this is Larel. Master Yoda sent us with a message that you both must return to the Jedi Temple immediately. It’s an emergency.”

Larel turned her eyes back to their new masters.

“It seems there’s already something of an emergency here,” she remarked dryly before she remembered herself and clammed up feeling the eyes of the two senior Jedi turn to her.

She bit her lower lip as she nervously looked up to meet their eyes. _Great job, Larel. Not even a minute and your big mouth screws you over._

“Quite observant, young one,” Master Kenobi replied. “Our communications have been rather unreliable, but we’ve been calling for help.”

“Master Yoda hadn’t heard from you so he sent us to deliver the message,” Ahsoka told them.

“Great!” Anakin exclaimed, turning away in irritation. “They don’t even know we’re trouble!”

Larel hesitated, opening her mouth then closing it once more. She chided herself silently, reminding herself to think before she spoke. Someone gave her shoulder a nudge and she glanced over to see Ahsoka giving her an encouraging nod. She looked up to find the expectant gaze of Master Kenobi on her. 

“Do you have a suggestion, young one?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Um I… I mean yes, Master Kenobi,” she replied, straightening up and putting aside her nerves to speak properly. “Why don’t you try relaying a signal through the cruiser that just dropped us off?”

Obi-wan and Anakin exchanged a look and the astromech droid between them gave a series of cheerful beeps. Anakin shrugged. Maybe the young one had a point.

“Worth a shot. What do we have to lose?”

No more discussion was necessary and the four Jedi made their way to a holoterminal. Before long a somewhat distorted hologram of Master Yoda appeared before them.

“Master Kenobi, glad the young ones found you, I am,” came his raspy voice. “Delivered my message, have they?”

“Yes, Master Yoda,” Obi-wan replied. “But we are in no position to go anywhere or do anything. We are trapped here, vastly outnumbered, and our support ships have all been destroyed.”

“Send reinforcements to you, we w-”

The hologram shuddered before it flickered out of existence and the communications officer aboard the cruiser informed them that they had lost the transmission and needed to get out of there before the Separatists blew them out of the sky. This news earned a groan from the young Jedi Knight, Anakin.

“I guess we’ll have to hold out a little longer,” he said, crossing his arms.

Obi-wan paused, not missing as the red haired girl seemed like she wanted to shrink into the background behind the more outgoing Ahsoka. He stepped forward, looking to young Ahsoka first.

“My apologies, young ones,” he said. “It’s time for a proper introduction.”

“I’m a new padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano,” the young Togruta said with a smile.

“I’m Obi-wan Kenobi, your new master.”

Ahsoka paused and glanced back at Larel who had resumed her nervous chewing on her lower lip then turned her attention back to the Jedi Master, speaking as properly as she could bring herself to.

“I’m at your service, Master Kenobi,” she began, “but I’m afraid I’ve actually been assigned to Master Skywalker.”

“What!? No no no no!” Anakin exclaimed with eyes wide in disbelief. “He’s the one who wanted the padawan!” he added, pointing to Obi-wan.

Something in Larel compelled her to cast aside her nerves once more and step forward toward Master Kenobi. 

“Um yes… well that’s why I’m here,” she said, chancing a glance at Obi-wan. “I’m Larel Corusca. Master Yoda was very specific when he sent us off. Ahsoka is to be instructed by Master Skywalker and I’m to be your padawan, Master Kenobi...If you’ll have me.”

Larel braced herself for a refusal. She was a bit older than most padawans were when assigned to a master and she had already begun to resign herself to the reality of reassignment when Obi-wan brushed off Anakin’s protests and put a gloved hand on her shoulder.

Obi-wan knew the girl’s story well. She and her late master, Sar Labooda, had fought bravely among the strike team sent to rescue _him_ from execution by Separatists on Geonosis, and she was running out of time before she would be reassigned to one of the service corps. It was a pain Obi-wan had lived through many years before prior to his own late master, Qui-gon, taking him as his padawan. He would not wish the disappointment and uncertainty of having one’s chances of being a Jedi Knight ripped away on anyone.

After what seemed like a lifetime to Larel, he spoke again, his tone and expression softening toward her.

“I would be honored to have you as my padawan learner, Larel,” he told her.

Relief flooded her and leaked into the Force around them as a small smile came to her. She wanted to hug him, thank him until she could no longer speak, but held herself properly instead and opted for a short bow.

“Thank you, Master.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for taking the time to read! This is the first time I've posted my writing in over a decade and I really hope you enjoyed it!  
> I look forward to sharing more with you!


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